Unit Six Overview


Look out your window. Almost everywhere you look, no matter where you live, you will see the effect of the human race on the environment. You may see fields of grain blowing in the breeze, a logging truck hauling its harvest to the pulp mill, a pump jack relentlessly sucking the oil from the ground, products for sale in a store, or a network of city streets.

Humankind's footprint is enormous. It's impossible to live without affecting the world around us, and the more people who live on our planet, the bigger that effect is. The opening slide show demonstrates some of the harmful effects of economic development. However, most of us want new cars, better televisions, more clothes, nicer homes, and money in the bank. Certainly, most people in the developing world want to experience the same material well-being that you do. In the drive for prosperity, how much economic growth can be sustained?

Prosperity means various things to various people. You have considered the degree to which globalization contributes to that prosperity for all. Now, consider how sustainable that prosperity is.

  • What are some perspectives on the environment?

  • Are there limits to economic growth?

  • What measures can we take to reduce our effect on the environment?


Pumpjack against the Mountains,
Courtesy Thinkstock
Complete the Unit Six Pre-Assessment on the next page.